Bandage for um



No. 6I2,997. Patented Oct. 25, |898. y S. G. SMITH.

BANDAGE FUR UMBILICAL CORUS.

(Application led J une 4, 1897.)

(No Model.)

l buey/@l NrTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN G. SMITH, OF HANNIBAL, ,MISSOURL BANDAGE FOR UNIBAILICAL. CORDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters IPatent No. 612,997, dated October25, 1898.

Application filed J'une 4, 1897. Serial No. 639,466. (No model.)

To all wiz/m it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, STEPHEN G. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hannibal, in the county of Marion and State of Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bandages forUmbilical Cords; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to a bandage or dressing for the umbilical cord ofa newly-born child.

In cases of child-birth the medical attendant ties a strong thread ortape around the umbilical cord about one and three-fourths (l-) inchesfrom the body of the child and then severs said cord, leaving a stump orfragment of the cord about two inches long remaining attached to theumbilicus of the child.

It is very desirable that the stump or fragment of the cord remainingattached should dry and be exfoliated or thrown off from the body of thechild quickly and without putrefaction or decay.

It has been a common practice for the medical attendant or the nurse todress the cord by wrapping around it a strip of charred linen or cottoncloth; but this dressing is defective and often fails to fullyaccomplish all that is desired, because the cord often remains moist`for several days and causes decay thereof, giving rise to disagreeableodor.

The object of my invention is to obviate these objections by theprovision of a bandage or dressing which may be easily and quicklyapplied, shall serve as an inclosure to the fragment of adhering cordand prevent the same from having contact with the body of the child andwith the clothing or from being rubbed by the latter, and which shallpossess aseptic, antiseptic, and absorbent properties, to insure thefragment drying rapidly, and be eXfoliated without any of thedisagreeable troubles due to the now present method of dressing thecord.

With these ends in view my invention consists of a dressing creased orindented to form two or more foldable members, one member provided witha cord-receiving aperture and with a slot which extends from saidaperture to the marginal edge of the dressing. I preferably make mydressing of the material known to the medical fraternity as lintine,because of its soft and absorbent properties, and in some cases thisdressing is impregnated or charged with a dry antiseptic agentcomprising a powder made, preferably, of tal cum or boracic acid or amixture of said materials; but my invention is not strictly coniined tothe employment of this antiseptic agent or powder, because it may beomitted, if desired. p

'To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention tobetter advantage, I have illustrated the saine in the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this speciiication, and in which- Figure lis a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of my dressingorbandage.

Fig. 2 is a view showing the method of foldy ing the dressing to inclosethe umbilical cord. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of another embodimentof my bandage or dressing, and Fig.

sisting of a sheet or strip of material either rectangular,substantially square, or of any other appropriate shape. The bandage isa single continuous piece of soft absorbent Inaterial, preferably thematerial known to the art as lintine, employed for surgical dressings.According to myinvention the dressing is provided near one edge with ahole or opening B and with aslitor incision C, which extends from thehole or opening B to .the proximate edge of the dressing A, the holebeing of a diameter greater than the width of the slit. Thisconstruction possesses utility in that the slit or incision can readilybe opened by drawing apart the dressing along the slit or incision, andthus permit the umbilical cord to be readily received within the hole oropening B, and after releasing the dressing the edges fall back or aredrawn back into place, thereby preventing in a measure the cord fromdisengaging itself from the hole in the dressing.

ICQ

'2 and 4.

In Fig. l I have shown the dressing as of approximately square form, andit is creased or indented, as shown by Figs. 1 and 2, to fold twice uponitself. The lines of the fold are indicated at a b, thus forming acentral member c and two side flaps or members d e, which are adapted tobe folded or turned inward upon the member c and one upon the other, asshown by Fig. 2. the invention the hole and the outwardlyext-ending slitare produced in that part of the vdressing between the foldable sides oriiaps d e. The bandage, however, may be in the form of an elongatedstrip of proper width, asshown in Figs. 3 and 4. In this case thedressing has the `slot and the incision or slit produced near one edgethereof, so that the slit opens through an end edge of the dressing.

The bandage is folded once upon itself, along the line indicated at f,by bringing-the distal end thereof over and upon the perforated andslitted end which receives the umbilical cord.

In the manufacture of my dressing I cut or stamp the same from a properpiece of lintine and produce the hole B and incision C, as described,and I then prefer to apply to that surface of the dressing with whichthe umbilical cord `comes in contact when the dressing is folded anantiseptic agent, such as a dry powder consisting of talcum or boraccacid or a mixture of both materials. This powder fills the pores orinterstices in the lintine dressing and practically impregnates thesame, so as to adhere to and form apart of the dressing. It is notessential, however, that this antiseptic powderbe used, and I maydispense with the same.

The creases to denote the line of the fold or folds may be produced byindenting or pressing the material, or said creases may be omittedaltogether, the bandage being folded at yplaces in the discretion of themedical attendant or the nurse. I prefer, however, to

crease the bandage to denote the lines of the fold.

In applying the dressing it is spread along In this embodiment ofj theline of the slit or incision far enough to permit the umbilical cord topass through the slit and occupy the hole B, and after releasing theedges of the dressing they assume their normal position, so that thecord is coniined in the hole. The dressing fits close down to the bodyof the child. The cord is spread or folded flat upon the dressing andthe dressing is folded upon the cord,which in the form shown by Fig. 2is effected by folding the flaps d e over upon the cord and upon oneanother, or in the device shown by Fig. 3 is accomplished by folding thedistal half of the dressing upon the part having the opening and slit.After the dressing is adj usted the binder is used as in ordinaryinstances. The dressing thus incloses the cord wholly within itself toprevent Vit from touching the body, and being aseptic, antiseptic, andabsorbent causes the stump or fragment of the cord todry rapidly a'nd beexfoliated without-trouble and annoyance.

Having thus fully described vmyinvention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. As a new article of manufacture, a dressing or bandage for theumbilical cord consisting of a foldable piece having a hole or openinganda slit or incision which extends from said lhole to an edge of thedressing, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. As anew articlerof manufacture, a dressing or bandage'for theumbilical cord consisting of apiece of absorbent material provided witha cord-receiving hole land with a slit that extends from said hole to aproximate edge of the dressing, the latter being creased or indented tofold upon itself and inclose the cord when itis inserted in said hole,as set forth.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a dressing or bandage for anumbilical cord impregnated with an antiseptic agent and comprising acreased or indented piece of absorbent material having a central memberand two oppositely-folding side members, the central member providedwith a cord-receiving opening and a slit which extends from said openingto the edge of the dressing, substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

u STEPHEN G. SMITH.

Witnesses:

JAS. C. Lnws,

J os. T. HAGAN.

IOO

